After a couple of miles I decided to ring the changes and ride the route the other way round. Normally I head for Woodbridge and reach Orford after riding about 60 miles. Then it’s back via Framlingham. That way if (when) I stop at Orford I have already done more than half the route. But the great thing about riding circular routes is the chance to see them the other way around.
Just after leaving Eye I sensed that all was not well. A slightly spongy feeling on my back wheel announced a puncture. Damn! At least it seemed to be a slow puncture and not a blow-out like the one I had a couple of weeks ago. Fortunately, there was a convenient stopping place complete with signpost that I could lean my bike against. After removing the wheel and levering off the tyre, an inspection of the inner tube gave no clues as to the exact location of the puncture. The wind meant it was hard to hear the hiss of any air escaping and in any event the tube didn’t seem to be deflating much. A close look at the outside of the tyre and a feel on the inside didn’t help much either. There was the tiniest of fissures on the tyre so I could only guess that whatever had caused the puncture had stayed on the road. Slightly apprehensively I fitted a new tube and hoped that my diagnosis was correct, so that when I got moving again I didn’t discover that I had missed the offending object and suffer another puncture, which is every cyclist’s nightmare. As I can’t inflate the tyre to quite the same pressure on the road I had a slightly softer ride, which meant that for the next few miles I wasn’t totally convinced that I had sorted the problem. But gradually I realised that everything was fine.
Quite a few non-cyclist friends – and I do have some – have asked me what I do when I get a puncture. So, whilst I’m on the subject, I’ll complete the story. It’s quite simple: I carry two spare inner tubes, a pump, and sometimes a gas canister which is both quicker than a pump and able to inflate the tube to a higher pressure. I also carry a conventional puncture repair kit (patches and glue) in case I’m very unlucky. Changing an inner tube takes less than 10 minutes. So it’s not a real hassle; rear wheel punctures are a tad more annoying than front wheel ones because removing and replacing the wheel usually means handling the chain with the risk of getting greasy fingers. I do carry a pair of disposable gloves but they have a habit of splitting at the wrong time. Over the years I’ve got quite adept at using a leaf or a bit of stick to hold the chain and keep my fingers relatively clean. There you have it – punctures. Now back to the ride.
I was soon through Framlingham and over the A12, which for me means I’ve arrived in coastal country: the sea’s still a few miles further on but the A12 is a sort of frontier to me; the only time I cross over it is when I’m heading for the coast. From Saxmundham I was soon at Snape and decided to have a quick look at the Maltings before heading on to Orford.
The Maltings are famous for the concert hall which is home to the Aldeburgh Festival, started in 1948 by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. Britten was born up the coast in Lowestoft. In addition to the fabulous concert hall, which my daughter Megan has sung in, there are several designer shops, boutiques and other amenities. Judging from the number of luxury cars in the car park and the well-dressed people wandering around, it looked as if the rich folk had come out to play and spend. Clearly not the place for the sweaty cyclist.
Reading the signals, I moved on, riding the wrong direction round the one-way system much to the annoyance of a large Mercedes driver. The word ‘large’ here applied both to the car and its driver. Minor victory to me! I was soon away from Snape and riding through Tunstall Forest. With a gentle tailwind I arrived at the quayside in Orford in next to no time. Then it was back to the village for a visit to the Pump Street Bakery to grab some lunch. I had a lovely egg sandwich washed down with a cappuccino. The Impulso had a freshly made raspberry jam doughnut.
So that’s it, really. The ride back home via Woodbridge and Debenham was very pleasant, if rather unremarkable. And I wore my green jersey to celebrate Cav’s achievements so far in this year’s Tour de France.
A little footnote to end on. Eagle-eyed readers (there are such people, as I have discovered) may have noticed that this route is usually 110 miles long and today it was 104. Well, that’s because I didn’t make my usual detour to Bawdsey, which adds the missing 6 miles. And no special reason for this – just ringing the changes! So there you are!
Thursday 7 July 2016, 115 Miles
Into Horseracing Country (C#20)
With the prospect of a reasonable day’s weather, the chance to ride two consecutive centuries was just too hard to resist. So I decided to head over to East Cambridgeshire and ride round the heart of horseracing country in the vicinity of Newmarket. And taking a leaf out of yesterday’s ride I decided to follow my usual route in reverse. Two things soon became apparent.
First, although there wasn’t much wind today there was enough of a breeze to be noticeable. Quite pleasant in terms of keeping me cool but also strong enough to give my legs a little bit more to contend with. This meant that the longer, outward part of the ride was going to be mostly into the wind. The plus being that towards the end I should have the benefit of a slight tailwind.
The second thing I noticed was that when I originally rode the route the other way around I must have added in quite a few loops and twists towards the end to get the total mileage up to the required hundred. This meant that after an hour’s riding I was still fairly close to home. But gradually the distance built up and I was eventually south-west of Bury St Edmunds and heading for the horseracing countryside around Newmarket.
The landscape in this area is quite unique. There are numerous stud farms, and the fields, when you can see them behind well-manicured hedges, are usually double-fenced, often with no doubt expensive horseflesh grazing serenely within. Everywhere has a looked-after and tidy feel, so tidy that it’s unnatural. The estate mansions are discretely located, usually not visible from the road, and their entrances are barred by often ornate high-security gates. Occasionally there is a guard house complete with a security guard to discourage nosey parkers such as passing cyclists. From time to time signs appear to announce the stud farms. I can’t think of anywhere else in England like this. The air positively reeks with the smell of money. Even the road surfaces are unusually smooth and free of potholes. Do I like it? Mmm, I’m not sure. But I do appreciate the contrast which, to my mind at least, makes me value our more natural countryside even more.
One of the great things about this ride is the opportunity to enjoy a bit of gentle hill climbing in the rolling countryside. So I rode up and down, back and forth, rarely following a straight line – a bit like a yacht tacking – hunting out a series of climbs to stretch my muscles and give my lungs a bit of a workout. And it was really invigorating too in the warm sun. All too soon I approached the fringes of Cambridge, so it was time to turn north-east and head over to a friend’s house for a coffee and a gossip.
Then, with the benefit of a tailwind, I made fairly rapid progress back towards Bury and home. Along the way I passed Ampton Hall. This is a fine house, built in a sort of Jacobean style, after the original hall burned down in 1885. The entrance to the hall boasts some rather ornate gates. Passing the hall is a milestone as it means that I now have less than 10 miles to reach home; unless I go off piste, as it were.
So today I can celebrate two milestones. Twenty centuries completed: one-third of my goal. And with 115 miles ridden, the longest century ride of the series, so far. Oh, and when I got home I found out that Cav had won his third stage of this year’s Tour. I’m all made up, as they say!
Thursday 14 July 2016, 104 Miles
Deer and Denver (C#21)
Well, there I was, riding along in a world of my own. I was engaged in a little spot of virtual Taffy bonding when, without any warning, a roe deer leaped out of the trees and landed right next to me. It was so close that if I had twitched my left elbow we would have made contact. In that split second, which seemed like minutes, I th
ought I was about to hit the tarmac. I leaned frantically to the right attempting to gain space, expecting at any moment to be bumped off by a serious lump of venison. I don’t know who was more surprised, me or Bambi. But incredibly, Bambi leapt in the opposite direction back into the trees. Luckily I escaped unscathed. Was this an omen for an ‘exciting’ ride?
Anyway, back to the virtual Taffy bonding. By dint of my father’s family being Welsh as well as having lived in that glorious country for several years, I consider myself to be a little more than an honorary Welshman. And I’m proud of it; anyone who studies my bike frames closely will realise that. So, the virtual Taffy bonding was with Geraint Thomas, who yesterday excelled at the Tour de France with a great bit of riding in support of Chris Froome who was in the yellow jersey. The Froomedog had managed to get the jump on his rivals and gain a few precious seconds. G, as he is known, realised what was happening and after some very hard riding managed to close the gap on the breakaway, join in the fun and help his team leader. The effort of doing this, written across his face, was a vivid illustration of the commitment from a true professional.
By an amazing coincidence I just happen to be reading The World of Cycling According to G. This is not your usual cycling book; instead, G shares his views on all sorts of riding issues and also on some of the people he has ridden with. All with a good dose of G’s trademark humour. Here is a man who really seems to have his feet firmly in his pedals. I can think of a few other riders who could learn some lessons from G. So I say to my compatriot, ‘Cymru am byth! Boyo!’
The focus for my ride today was Denver and that elusive sign (C#14, 15 May). And following the recent trend I rode the route the other way around. Success, too: I managed to find the sign, and then after taking the obligatory photo I set off southwards for a glorious ride across the Fens along the side of the River Great Ouse as far as Queen Adelaide. Now there’s a place name to conjure with. I’ll be back to find out more.
The riding, under blue skies with cotton wool white billowing clouds, was simply outstanding. A light tailwind meant that I maintained a steady speed before turning and riding gradually eastwards back to the Brecks and home. Once again I found the immense scale of the Fenland landscape simply breathtaking, as I could see for miles and miles in every direction. All too soon I was back on home ground and reflecting on a great day’s riding. And thankfully there were no more encounters with Bambi.
Sunday 17 July 2016, 101 Miles
The Suffolk Spinner (C#22)
Today was another of those sportives I’ve written about before. This one, The Suffolk Spinner, was more local to me and covered many of the roads that I regularly ride on. But starting from a different place (Otley College west of Ipswich) meant that the character of the ride was rather different. The event is one of the Cycling Weekly Series; I rode the inaugural one last year and quite enjoyed it. I’m feeling a tad lazy at the moment (you can find out why below) so here’s what the organisers had to say about it in their marketing blurb:
The Cycling Weekly Suffolk Spinner proved successful in its first outing last year, so it’s back by popular demand. Exploring historic Suffolk by bike will be a pull for repeat visitors, and for newcomers to the sportive who want to experience the county’s rolling rural roads and short and punchy climbs. The tour through the series of scenic villages and swooping, free-flowing roads starts in Otley, before you head out in the direction of the coastal heaths on a long anti-clockwise loop through the region, passing through Wickham Market and soon reaching the quaint village of Orford and banks of the River Ore.
From then on, you’ll head north towards Saxmundham, not before taking a minute to stock up on energy drinks and foods at the first feed stop around the small village of Snape. Continuing to dart around the unspoilt Suffolk country lanes, you’ll pass over the enchanting old bridge at Snape Maltings, towards Dunwich, and from here you’ll notice the course straighten up as it takes to a series of Roman roads. Watch out for roaming peacocks as you head towards the old market town of Framlingham and back out onto the straight roads, which make up most of the rest of the course. With no major climbs to slow you, these long straights make for easy miles to tick off as you can go hard on the way back to ride HQ, where there will be a finisher’s medal and cheer waiting for you.
A fairly accurate description in my view, but I didn’t spot any roaming peacocks. There was plenty of other enjoyable landscape eye candy, though. I managed to get in a small group with about ten other riders and we shared the work out between us, which meant we maintained a good speed, even when riding into the moderate headwind.
There’s a real buzz about riding in a group which shares out the work. What we do is called ‘through and off’ or ‘chain ganging’. Basically riders form a long line and each one takes it in turn to ride in the front. When each rider has done their turn they pull out to the side and ease down to the back of the group, rejoining the line at the end. As the lead rider pulls off, the second rider ups the pace ever so slightly. In this way the group as a whole maintains a higher average speed. But the trick is for the front rider to avoid any temptation to speed up too much and blow others off the back. The riders down the line benefit from shelter and slipstreaming which can reduce the effort they need to hold the pace by up to 20 per cent. Great concentration is needed as you ride a mere few inches from the wheel in front of you. Get it right and there’s a real sense of flow and smoothness. Get it wrong and you are likely to hit the rider in front of you, causing an almighty pile up.
Well, what we did today must have worked because I posted my fastest century time of the year so far: 5 hours 21 minutes for the 101 miles at an average speed of 18.9 mph. That’s actual riding time, excluding a stop at the feed station. There were three feed stations on the route but we were making such good progress that we didn’t bother stopping at the first or the last ones. The official elapsed time, including stops, should appear shortly when the organisers have collated the timing data. So, that’s why I’m feeling a tad lazy as I write this. Recovery time!
Monday 18 July 2016, 107 Miles
Ride of the Three Hams (C#23)
My legs felt quite good this morning after yesterday’s blast round east Suffolk. It also promised to be the warmest day of the year so far with temperatures forecast to rise to the high twenties. So this was a great reason to get the Infinito out and go for a ride. The route today was up into south and mid-Norfolk through some gently rolling countryside. A slight breeze took the edge off the heat as the day warmed up.
With clear skies and long, straight roads I was really enjoying myself. And the roads seemed much quieter than usual so I could spend more time looking around and less worrying if I was either going to be rear-ended or forced to swerve into the verge by an oncoming 4x4. Yes, both have happened to me. I was once rear-ended at a roundabout by a driver who thought I should have nipped through the oncoming traffic over a major dual carriageway. I had the last laugh though, because immediately behind the offending driver was a police car whose occupants clocked it all. As no real damage was done to me, just a knock to my dignity, I was able to leave the scene of the crime pretty quickly. Said motorist, however, was getting quite a going over from the (nice) Plods who certainly weren’t plodding. ‘Do you have your documents sir?’ ‘Is this car yours?’ ‘Have you looked at the Highway Code recently?’ That last one brought me up short. Okay, when did you last look at the Highway Code?
Anyway, enough of this! The main feature of today’s ride was liquid, lots of it. I reckon I drank close to 4 litres of assorted fluids to avoid dehydrating: some energy drinks that I brought with me, some mineral water and two cans of Coke (full strength for the sugar, dear reader), as well as a very welcome ice cream. I stopped twice to restock, at Litcham (roughly halfway round) and then at Banham with just under 20 miles to go. Ironically, I felt hottest when I stopped under the full sun with virtually no shade. Riding along was fine, with the bene
fit of that light breeze which had a cooling effect. The biggest challenge as the day advanced was the road surface, where the heat of the sun had started to soften and melt the tar in a few places. The roads round here are heavy enough as it is without having to contend with riding through treacle!
After last week’s visit to Denver (C#21), today’s notable village was Kimberley – but with no diamonds. Or at least, if there are diamonds here then they are a closely guarded secret. Kimberley is a small village notable for the Wodehouse family who have lived here since the 1370s. One of the Wodehouses distinguished himself in the Battle of Agincourt and was granted large estates by Henry V as a reward. The grounds of Kimberley Hall were designed by Capability Brown.
So there we have it, a very pleasant ride in great weather – more please. And if you’re wondering what the Three Hams in the title above are then look no further: Swaffham, Dereham and Wymondham, all of which I rode through. It’s the heat, don’t you know!
Sunday 24 July 2016, 101 Miles
This One Nearly Didn’t Count (C#24)
Another sunny day and another Sportive. This one was the Cycle Sportives UK (CSUK) Norfolk Sportive which I’ve ridden in for the last two years. It’s a local event, based on the southern outskirts of Norwich, and broadly heads south towards home on roads that I am quite familiar with. The route is slightly unusual as there is only one feed station (visited twice) so there are two circular loops within the overall circuit and you ride one stretch of road twice. I think the reason for having one location for the feed station is to help the organisers keep their costs down. I don’t really mind this, especially since CSUK use the event to raise money for charity. This year they have linked up with Southwold and Hunstanton Lifeboat Stations to help raise funds to keep them saving lives at sea during 2016. My mother spent many years as a volunteer fundraiser for the RNLI so I am very happy to play my (tiny) part in supporting them.
Passione Celeste Page 13
